Rolling mill chock clearance take-up devices



UP DEVICES Feb. 7, 1967 D. LYLE ET AL ROLLING MILL cnocx CLEARANCE TAKE 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed NOV. 20, 1963 William J. Kore INVENTORS Duvld Lyle 8: Q?

Feb. 7, 1967 LYLE ET AL 3,302,435

ROLLING MILL CHOCK CLEARANCE TAKE-UP DEVICES Filed Nov. 20, 1965 2 Sheets-$heet INVENTORE David Lyle 1% William J. Kore Y United States Patent 3,302,435 ROLLING MILL CHOGK CLEARANQE TAKE-UP DEViClES David Lyle, Mount Lebanon Township, Allegheny County, and William i. Korey, Greentree, Pa., asslgnors to Maw-Knox Company, Pittsburgh, Pa., a corporation of Delaware Filed Nov. 20, 1963. Ser. No. 325,108 8 Claims. (Cl. 72-245) This invention relates to rolling mill chock clearance take-up devices and particularly to a structure for pro viding clearance between the back-up roll chocks and the work roll chocks for ease of roll change while providing means for eliminating any relative movement of the backup and work rolls during the rolling operation.

It has long been recognized that clearance between the work roll chocks and the back-up roll chocks of a rolling mill was essential for ease of roll change as well as for normal manufacturing tolerances. However, such clearances have equally well recognized detrimental effects. The normal clearances necessary for manufacturing tolerances are sufficient in many cases to cause crossed rolls, wearing and galling in the chocks, inability to set the position of the work roll axis with respect to the back-up roll axis and deleterious effects upon the metal being rolled as a result of the chocks moving during the rolling operation. For example, chock clearance of 0.010 inch can have a marked undesirable effect upon tin plate being rolled in a temper pass mill.

Similar undesirable effects may be observed in a two high mill where the work roll chocks move in the windows of the mill housing.

Many efforts have been made to overcome this problem of chock clearance. One such system is that shown in Coe Patent 1,887,870 issued November 15, 1932. In that patent a pair of work rolls are journaled in a pair of horizontally elongated chocks which are pressed between blocks on the ends of hydraulically actuated pistons. This structure will effectively hold the work roll chocks against horizontal movement so that the axes of the back-up rolls and the work rolls can be accurately positioned. However, this structure introduces new problems which are equally harmful to those solved. For example, in the Coe structure the work roll chocks are unaltera'bly positioned as respects one another and the mill housing when the fluid pistons are actuated. This means that there can be no vertical adjustment of the work rolls through the screw downs working on the backup rolls. Moreover, in the Coe device the problem of changing work rolls is complicated by the large size and shape of the chocks. Since work rolls are frequently changed at the end of each eight hour shift, this can be the source of serious loss of time and production.

We have invented a mill structure which eliminates all of these problems. In the structure of our invention the work roll chocks become an integral part of the backup roll chocks and move independently of one another with the back-up roll while maintaining the back-up rollwork roll center-line relationship. At the same time it is possible to independently shift the work roll aXis of one work roll with respect to the other work roll or either of the back-up rolls so as to accurately and definitely establish any of an infinite number of roll axes arrangements. For example, one or both work rolls can be shifted with respect to the center line of the backup rolls without dismantling or even stopping the mill.

Another very significant advantage is that much greater clearances can be provided for the work roll chocks to ease the problem of roll changing. For example, it is common to provide clearances of 0.010 inch between the work roll chock and its supporting window. In the pres- 3,302,435 Patented Feb. 7, 1967 ent invention, we can provide clearances of the order of 0.25 inch without any problems of roll shift, crossed rolls, or wear or galling. This permits ease of roll replacement heretofore deemed impossible.

In a preferred embodiment, we provide in a rolling mill structure having work rolls journaled in work roll chocks carried in supporting windows the improvement comprising expansible means between each work roll chock and the supporting window for such chock, and means for selectively operating said expansible means to engage and fix the chock immova'bly in its supporting window. In the case of four high mills having back-up rolls we preferably provide vertically extending ears on each back-up roll chock defining a window for the corresponding work roll chock. Preferably the expansible means are fluid cylinders on the supporting window pressing between the work roll chocks and the corresponding window wall.

We have, in the foregoing general description, set out certain objects, advantages and purposes of our invention. Other objects, advantages and purposes will be apparent from a consideration of the following description and the accompanying drawings in which:

FIGURE 1 is a side elevation of a four high mill showing a preferred form of our invention;

FIGURE 2 is a section on the line IIII of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged fragmentary section on the line IIIIII of FIGURE 2;

FIGURE 4 is an end elevation of a second embodiment of our invention; and

FIGURE 5 is an end elevation of a third embodiment of our invention.

Referring to the drawings, we have illustrated a mill end housing 10 having a window 11 extending above and below a pass line 12.

An upper back-up roll 13 is journaled in an upper chock 14 slidably mounted in window 11. A window 15 is formed by depending cars 16 on the upper back-up roll chock 14. An upper work roll 17 is journalled in upper work roll chock 18 mounted for vertical movement in back-up roll chock windows 15. Double acting pistons 19 on the incoming side of chock 14 act on backing member 20 to move it against or away from chock 18 to engage it firmly in window15.

A lower back-up roll 30 is journalled in back-up roll chock 31 vertically movable in window 11 in housing 10. A window 32 is formed by upwardly extending cars 33. A lower work roll 34 is journalled in a lower work roll chock 35 mounted for vertical movement in window 32. Hydraulic pistons 36 on the incoming side of the window 32 acting on locking member 37 to move it against or away from chock 35 .to engage it firmly in window 32.

Preferably the pistons 19 are mounted in recesses 38 in the ears 16 (in the case of the upper work roll) of the upper back-up roll chock. Passages 39 in the cars 16 deliver fluid for actuating the piston to press it outwardly against the work roll chock. The pistons 19 are made double acting by drilling an additional passage 40 in the cars 16 communicating with the side of piston 36 opposite passage 39. This same structure is used in the case of pistons 36 in cars 33 of the lower back-up rolls.

Referring to the embodiment shown in FIGURE 4, we have illustrated a rolling mill structure essentially identical with that of FIGURES 1 through 3. We have used the same identifying numerals on like parts with the addition of the letter a. The embodiment shown in FIGURE 4 differs from that of FIGURES 1 through 3 in having pistons 19a and locking members 20a in both ears 16a of the upper back-up roll chocks and pistons 36a and locking members 37a in both ears 33a of the lower backup roll chocks. This permits the work roll chocks to be shifted within windows 15a and 32a from one side to the other of the center line of the back-up rolls depending upon which set of cylinders is operated or to otherwise position the Work roll chocks at some intermediate position between those two limits.

In the embodiment of our invention illustrated in FIG- URE 5 we have illustrated an end housing 50 having a window 51 extending above and below pass line 52. Upper and lower back-up roll chocks 53 and 54 are movable in said window on opposite sides of the pass line. Each of the back-up roll chocks 53 and 54 carries journalled therein back-up ro-lls 55 and 56 respectively. The upper back-up roll chock 53 is provided with depending cars 57 Which form a window 58 carrying upper work roll chocks 59 which in turn carry the upper work roll 60 journalled therein. Hydraulic pistons 61 mounted in work roll chocks 59 engage the wall of window 58 to hold the work roll chocks in said window.

The lower back-up roll chocks are provided with cars 62 which form a window 63 carrying lower work roll chocks 64 which in turn carry lower work roll 65 journalled therein. Hydraulic pistons 66 in the lower work roll chocks engage the wall of window 63 to hold the chocks in position.

It is obvious that any conventional source of pressure fluid could be connected to the operative side of each piston of each embodiment illustrated through any of dozens of conventional control circuits. We have accordingly not illustrated any particular source of fluid or control circuitry therefor.

While we have illustrated and described certain preferred embodiments of our invention it will be understood that this invention may be otherwise embodied within the scope of the following claims.

We claim:

1. In a rolling mill structure having work rolls journalled in work roll chocks carried in supporting windows,

the improvement comprising an expansible means be-. tween each separate work roll chock and the supporting window for such chock, and means for selectively operating each said expansible means to engage and fix the chock immovably in its supporting window.

2. In a rolling mill structure having work rolls journalled in work roll chocks carried in supporting windows, the improvement comprising an expansible means in each separate work roll chock adapted to be expanded into engagement with the supporting window for such chock, and means for selectively operating each said expansible means to engage and fix the chock immovably in its supporting window.

3. In a rolling mill structure having back-up rolls journalled in supporting windows in said mill structure, work rolls journalled in work roll chocks carried in supporting Windows formed in the back-up roll chocks, the improvement comprising an expansible means between each separate work roll chock and the supporting window for such chock in the back-up roll chocks and means for selectively operating each said expansible means to engage and fix the chock immovably in its supporting window.

4. A mill structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein the expansible means are fluid actuated pistons mounted in a sidewall of the supporting window for the work roll chocks.

5. A mill structure as claimed in claim 3 wherein the expansible means are fluid actuated pistons mounted in the work roll chocks and engagea'ble against the sidewalls of the windows formed in the back-up roll chocks.

6. In a rolling mill structure having a vertical Window in each end housing, back-up roll chocks mounted in said window on opposite sides of a pass line, back-up rolls journalled in said chocks, a window in each of said backup roll chocks adjacent the pass line, work rolls journalled in work roll chocks carried in said windows in the back-up roll chocks, the improvement comprising an expansible means between each separate work roll chock and the window for such chock in the back-up roll chock and means for selectively operating each said expansible means to engage and fix the chock immovably in its supporting window.

7. In a rolling mill structure as claimed in claim six wherein the windows in the back-up roll chocks are defined by vertically extending ears engaging the window periphery of the mill housing and carrying the expansible means in the form of fluid actuated pistons.

8. A mill structure as claimed in claim 7 wherein each vertically extending ear is provided with fluid actuated pistons engaging the vertical sidewalls of the work roll chocks to position them relative to the back-up rolls.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 11/1932 Coe 72245 10/1937 McBane 72245 

1. IN A ROLLING MILL STRUCTURE HAVING WORK ROLLS JOURNALLED IN WORK ROLL CHOCKS CARRIED IN SUPPORTING WINDOWS, THE IMPROVEMENT COMPRISING AN EXPANSIBLE MEANS BETWEEN EACH SEPARATE WORK ROLL CHOCK AND THE SUPPORTING WINDOW FOR SUCH CHOCK, AND MEANS FOR SELECTIVELY OPERATING EACH SAID EXPANSIBLE MEANS TO ENGAGE AND FIX THE CHOCK IMMOVABLY IN ITS SUPPORTING WINDOW. 